TC: Reunion
by Dead Raen
Summary: LeonxAda The sequel to TC Evolution. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, everyone.

Sorry for the absurdly long wait. School work is not kind.

My last story took very little time to post and publish, starting and ending in less than four weeks, I believe. This story's updates will be erratic until late June, when I get out of school for the summer.

Disclaimer: Resident Evil and its characters are owned by Capcom. The C6 Zo6 Corvette is owned by Chevrolet. This story is fictional. Anything relating to real people or occurrences is entirely coincidental unless otherwise specified.

In order to get full enjoyment out of this story, please read the prequel, TC Evolution.

Enjoy.

* * *

_"Back in black, I hit the sack.  
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back.  
Yes I'm let loose from the noose,  
That's kept me hangin' about.  
I been livin' like a star 'cause it's gettin' me high.  
Forget the hearse, 'cause I never die.  
I got nine lives, cat's eyes -  
abusing every one of them and running wild."_

-AC/DC

* * *

**REUNION**

Just outside of Hale, Texas.

It was the end of January. The back road was illuminated only by the silvery moon overhead, the sky dark and peppered with twinkling stars. The air was fresh and cool, and all was silent, save the single car that drove down the isolated roadway.

The midnight-black Corvette C6 Zo6 was in perfect condition, although to say it had never seen bad times would be a lie. It had been smashed into, scratched, and shot at on more than one occasion. Still, the owner did his best to fix everything that happened to the car.

The said owner of this particular vehicle had equally as many scars, bruises, broken bones and gunshot wounds as his Corvette had in its own regard. He ended up taking care of himself just as much as it. His name was Leon Scott Kennedy.

Even now he was suffering from a large gash across his left bicep. He learned to handle and embrace pain over the past three months, ever since his friend was murdered.

The wind blew through the open window, causing his hair to lightly blow away from his forehead. Anyone else in his position would say that they were cold. He was immune to it. He had the radio blasting an old favorite, _Back in Black_.

Three months ago he had returned to the desolate and destroyed Raccoon City, where he found out about the terrible secret brooding within the earth - the Ex-Umbrella facility and the deadly TC Virus they were synthesizing. He learned that Wesker was still playing with fire, and that he was less than thrilled with Leon's presence in his testing grounds. The place went up in flames when a bomb was set off inside the facility. A few days later he walked into his office and found the dead body of a co-worker and friend, Jack. He knew Wesker was behind it.

It was a warning from the asshole himself - a warning that said "I'm coming for you." His home no longer safe, Leon took up the life of the road. He'd not be safe until Wesker was dead.

He tracked Wesker's movements, often finding some sort of T-Virus testing facility or research lab. Though Wesker was never there anymore, he shut down each construct. He'd snuffed out the operations of four in the last three months, including one that very night.

The back road flowed into the small county of Hale where Leon had ordered a hotel suite.

"Welcome back, Mr. Thompson." The manager greeted him. He politely nodded and went up to his room, the thick cut across his arm concealed by a sweatshirt. By now Leon was used to using faux names to keep a low profile.

The gash wasn't terribly bad, Leon could see as he inspected it under a fluorescent light. Still, he'd probably need to keep weight off of it for the week. After a quick gauze wrap and a well-needed shower he left the bathroom, walking over to the desk that held all the information he'd gathered about 'evil' operations of the much-alive Umbrella Corporation. He grabbed a pen and scribbled "COMPLETED" across the top of the folder that contained the Intel about his most recent endeavor, a slight smile washing across his face.

_Another down. Oh-!_

He'd almost forgotten - His next lead, a crumpled up piece of paper. It was a letter by the looks of it, the writer apparently displeased with the Scientist Head's progress. "Don't make me come out from Nevada." the final sentence said.

_Nevada._

He'd head out tomorrow morning. For now, he deserved a restful night of sleep. There was still a long road ahead of him.

--

Hale, Texas

A lone finger swept across the table as its owner talked into a cell phone.

"You're _sure _he was here last?" She spoke.

The person on the other line answered. "Yeah, we're completely sure. It's the third time he's used the name 'Thompson'."

She sighed. "Well, he's sure as hell gone now. I'll keep looking around here; see if you can dig anything else up."

"Will do. Don't worry, Ada." The other person on the phone said. "We're getting closer. We'll catch him." Ada Wong closed the phone and looked around the Hotel room blankly. The room was clean. Leon hadn't left so much as a hair to prove he had checked in here; aside from the booklist that said a black Corvette had registered entrance to the Hotel's parking lot.

"Where are you, Leon?" She whispered to herself, taking one last glance around before leaving.

--

Los Angeles, California

Rebecca Chambers' home had become the main place everyone gathered when it was time to work.

This, unfortunately for Rebecca, was all the time. The computer room had been turned into the recon room, the desks stacked with folders and paper clipped bunches of paper of sources and leads on both Umbrella's movements and sightings of the team's missing friend.

The team consisted of Rebecca, Chris Redfield, his sister Claire, Jill Valentine and Barry Burton, along with a personal friend of Leon's, Ada Wong. They worked almost nonstop to find Leon but their research rarely gave them anything worth celebrating.

Today was like that.

"Did she find anything?" Chris asked Rebecca, looking over her shoulder at the computer.

Rebecca sighed. "No. He's a ghost." She replied coolly, slight irritation washing over her.

"I don't get it. Why is he running from _us_? We're trying to help him." Barry said gruffly, looking through the most recent intelligence.

"He's keeping a low profile. Easier to sneak around alone, I guess." Jill replied as she walked into the room, holding a cup of coffee. "I'm sure if he needs us, he'll call us."

_God, I hope so._

_"_Maybe you're right," Rebecca said as she looked over at Jill, smiling.

"Hey, guys, check out the news." Claire called, not turning her head away from the television. Everyone walked over to her.

"_...some sort of chemical explosion caused by the fire. Authorities say the fire was most likely caused by a gas leak. The body count continues to rise..."_ The reporter went on. The screen was filled with the video of a large building covered in bright orange and white flames. A superimposed headline read "Explosion at factory".

"Look at the location." Claire said quietly, still listening to the reporter.

_Hale, Texas_.

"Hale? Leon... You think this was another facility?" Rebecca asked, already guessing the answers of her friends.

"No doubt. A gas leak? He covers himself well." Chris said, slightly amused with the image.

"Alright, guys. Let's give it a break for a few days, eh? We all need a vacation." Barry said, stretching his back.

"Good idea. Keep in touch and keep your phones on. Just in case." Jill said, gathering all the research together.

_Glad to see someone cares about the condition of my house besides me..._

"Yep. Goodnight." Claire said, followed by Barry. Chris helped Jill and they left together, holding one another's waist.

_They've been like that ever since Alaska, a year or so back..._

Rebecca leaned against her chair and sighed, eyeing the numbers and words on the screen.

_I should get some rest, too. But first..._

She took out her cell phone and dialed in Leon's number. The familiar three-rings-and-machine tore her. Why couldn't he pick up? Just _once_?

"_It's Leon. Leave a message."_

"Hey, Leon. Heard you were in Hale. Ada went to go find you, but... well; I guess we were too late. Also heard about the destruction of that EXU plant..." She paused. "Please call me. I can help you, we all can. Please, Leon." She hung up, suddenly weary of the situation. She knew he wasn't going to call. Maybe he didn't even _have_ his cell phone anymore.

Rebecca dropped the phone and stood up, making her way for her room. There could be a billion things happening with Leon. But now, she needed rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Nice to see some people are still around from TC. _This_ story's just getting started.

* * *

Imperial, Nebraska.

Three days later.

The black Corvette C6 Zo6 that sped though the city was _anything_ but normal. Much of the shell's metal had been replaced with bulletproof metal, the glass had been changed, and everything had been made for surviving. The engine had been swapped for a more powerful one, and a custom gun rack had been created to be concealed by the bottom of the trunk.

It was _fast._ Leon had once topped it out at 241mph on a long Texas highway a few months back.

The car was slowing now; pulling into an old pub entitled '_The Official Bar'_. Leon walked in slowly, taking in the atmosphere of the place - it was well kept. The bartender was behind his table wiping out a mug and talking with some of the shady figures that slouched down on the stools. There were a few scattered tables and a Pool table near the entrance. The ceiling was covered in a thin layer of smoke, wisped around by the fans the slowly spun. The average bar.

Off to the very dark corner of the building did Leon find his mark - a lone man sitting at the table. He strode over to the table casually, as if he had just found his friend. The man looked up and Leon scrutinized him carefully, drinking in his features. He was old, white hair poking out from under a black top hat. His body was covered in a matching trench coat, and his glasses shaded his eyes, only revealing to Leon his own ragged reflection.

He sat down across from the man and leaned in. "What's the word, _Johnny_?" He asked quietly, his eyes still searching the glasses.

The man grunted. "This one's big, Kennedy. Real big. I wouldn't recommend going at this one alone."

Leon scoffed. "I think I can handle this."

"_No,_ Kennedy," The man spat. "You _can't._ This is _THE _base. You really think they're going easy on security?"

Leon leaned forward. "Fine. I know a few people. What's the front?"

"A prison complex. I'll let you guess what they do with the lucky prisoners. And a full-team operation is too much. Think three people."

"What the hell are you playing at?" Leon asked tersely as he leaned back. "From the sound of it, this'll take a personal army."

The man smiled. "How bad do you want to take down these guys?" He questioned, watching Leon's reaction intently.

_He's right..._ Leon was ready to go to the end of the earth to stop Wesker, and had already gone up against monsters that existed only in the worst of nightmares. He was going to do what it took to take down this corporation, no matter the cost.

"You're a strong kid. I can see it that you can do this." The old man grew serious. "All you need is two other people, three tops - someone to back you up and someone with skills in the medical field for when you get hurt." He took off his glasses, revealing pale blue eyes and a small tattoo of the Umbrella insignia. He sighed deeply. "I'm rootin' for you in this, kid. This is the big time - you pull this off, you're done. You can get you're life back, settle down, get with that cute Asian chick who's always following you around, start your life anew."

By now Leon's gaze had grown distant. For all of this to end? He hadn't thought about the future in all of this. For him, it was always about the past - from the Raccoon city incident almost seven years ago, to what had been done to the Redfield's, the TC incident three months ago, Wesker's murder of his work friend...

"Alright. I'll do it." Leon spoke finally, looking right into the eyes of the old man. "Where's the info I'll need?"

"It's all in this briefcase. Good luck." The old man got up and left, leaving Leon to his thoughts. Wesker was close to being stopped. Leon could taste it. He wasn't about to let him slip away again.

_So backup and a medic, eh?_

He pulled out his phone, the simple act reminding him of the length of time since he'd talked to his friends. The screen flashed on.

_...A new message..._

Leon called up his voicemail and listened.

_You have one new message._

_First new message._

_"_Hey, Leon."

_Rebecca._

"Heard you were in Hale. Ada went to go find you, but... well; I guess we were too late." A pang of guilt washed over him. "...Also heard about the destruction of that EXU plant..." There was a brief pause. "Please call me. I can help you, we all can. Please, Leon_..._"

_End of messages. To delete this mess-_

Leon closed the phone and slipped out of the pub and back into his Corvette, packing the briefcase under his seat. He estimated at least an eight hour drive to Los Angeles. He pulled out of the parking lot and floored it, his tuned engine roaring into life as he picked up speed, heading for the highway.

--

??

The mansion looked well-kept, despite its abandoned condition. The main hall was decorated with expensive-looking furnishings and exotic lights that gave the room a dim glow. A red carpet made its way up the staircase, which split on either side at the top.

_Thump._

A wet, solid sound came from the room to Rebecca's left and she pointed her Beretta at it, walking slowly toward the door that connected the two rooms. Slowly she reached for the knob and turned it, opening it only a crack, just enough to make sure the coast was clear. Satisfied, she opened the door fully and walked through quickly, whipping her pistol around the room, looking for any dangers. This room was as luxurious as the main hall, the walls decorated with pictures and dim lights. The center of the room was occupied by a large dinner table, and the air was punctuated by the ticking of an old grandfather clock. There was someone on the far side of the table, hunched over. He looked to be preoccupied with something on the ground. Rebecca began to stride over to the man. The closer she got, however, the more she realized something was very _wrong_.

The person's skin was pale white by any standards and his green shirt had blotches of brown on them.

"Excuse me, sir?" Rebecca asked, her grip on her weapon tightening as she spotted just _what_ the man was preoccupied with.

The man craned his head and looked at her, revealing a blood-soaked face and, even more alarming as it got up to face her, the body of a person ridden with bites from unmistakably human jaws. Rebecca screamed in terror, pointing her gun at it.

The zombie groaned as it raised its arms and took a step toward her, its mouth gaping open. Rebecca fired - one, two, three times and the last went through the left eye, spewing blood and the hideous monster toppled over. Rebecca, keeping an eye on the newly-dead undead, walked over to the body and screamed in horror as she identified it.

_No, this can't be happening. This can't-_

The lifeless body of S.T.A.R.S. Member Rebecca Chambers lay on the ground in front of her, its eyes looking deep into hers.

_Splut._

Something large and gray fell next to the body, followed by another, and then another. The dark globs jumped at Rebecca and a cry of terror rose as she lost her footing, falling on her back, squirming to get the leeches off.

Amidst the struggle she saw her dead body rise and fought more as it fell on her, its mouth clasping around her neck...

* * *

**OOh,** I'm so mean leaving you all hanging like that, aren't I? But don't worry. If all goes well, I'll be uploading again _really_ soon.

-Dead Rain


	3. Chapter 3

Yeah, yeah. I know. It _was_ mean of me to leave off like that, but I want to stay at least two chapters ahead of what I'm posting.

This week is finals week for me, so I might just post another chapter on Friday. No promises, though.

* * *

**Los Angeles, California**

**Rebecca's House**

Rebecca screamed as she sat up, shaking. She looked around her and saw only her bedroom, shrouded in darkness. No mansion, no zombies.

_A dream... a nightmare..._

"Goddamnit..." she whispered to herself as she rubbed her face with her hands, wiping away a tear.

She ran her fingers through her brown hair as she fell into her bed, trying to steady her erratic breathing. She felt another tear run down her cheek, but made no effort to remove it. The clock to her left informed her that she had gotten only three hours of sleep since last waking up, making the time now 1:29.

Rebecca couldn't stop these nightmares - there was simply no _way_ to. There really wasn't any counseling that could help her get over what she'd seen - they'd never understand, never even _begin_ to comprehend the horrors she'd faced.

She sighed, her heart beginning to settle. There would be no getting back to sleep _now_. She swung her legs off of the bed and planted her feet on the ground, leaning over as the last of her nightmare faded away. After some time she got up and made her way to the computer room through the darkness. The computer was still on, the monitor glowing dimly, revealing satellite imagery of Hale, Texas – Leon's last known location.

Damn Leon. He had brought all of them on a wild goose chase for the last three months, and always left them at a dead end.

They were getting closer, though. On a few occasions they had caught wind of an Umbrella outpost before it had mysteriously disappeared off of the map. They were on the right track, and if they kept it up, they'd be able to head Leon off -

The cell phone on the desk lit up, a small chirp emanating from it, bringing Rebecca out of her thoughts.

_It's three in the morning, this better be damn important._

She picked up the cell phone, looking at the screen for a name. As soon as she identified the caller ID, her blood ran cold and her heart jumped. The opened the phone and immediately pressed it up to her ear.

"...Leon?" She asked, suddenly feeling a wave of vertigo pass through her.

"Hi, Rebecca. Sorry if I woke you." Leon's deep voice spoke through the earpiece. Rebecca's knees buckled and she fell back, landing on the chair behind her.

"Leon..." She began, suddenly at a loss for words. "No, you didn't wake me. I had a-" She stopped herself, not wishing to remember. "Where are you?"

"I'm outside of Los Angeles. Just wanted to warn you."

"You're coming here?" Rebecca said, her thoughts returning to her. "Did something happen?"

"Not yet. I've got a 'job' opportunity, and I need your help. This is pr-" His voice was cut off by a large, metallic _thump_.

"Leon?" Rebecca asked, suddenly becoming worried as she heard the phone hit the ground.

_Oh, no…_

There was another _thump_ that apparently broke the phone, for the signal died. Immediately Rebecca called back, but to no avail. She flew over to the computer and typed in Leon's number into a GPS system – now that he had actually made a call, she'd be able to track it down.

-And there is was, at a rest stop just outside of LA. Her worry intensified as she noted the pond in back of the building.

It was 3:42. If Leon was attacked and thrown into that pond, he'd be dead within the hour. The rest stop was no more than ten minutes away. Rebecca grabbed her coat, medical supplies, and her 9mm Beretta as she headed for the door.

_Stay alive, Leon. I'm coming._

--

**Outskirts of Los Angeles, California**

The rest stop was as Rebecca had expected it: dark, quiet, lonely, and in serious need of repair. The only light was hung above the bathroom doors, its dim yellow glow illuminating only them. There was one other car besides hers in the lot, and the edges of its black exterior caught the light just enough to reveal its shape - Corvette.

_Might be Leon's, but first thing's first: the pond._

Rebecca stepped out of her Altima and took out her flashlight and gun, resting her firearm hand on top of her flashlight hand, as Jill had taught her. She walked to the back of the rest stop, immediately identifying the pond. Half of it was frozen over. Something was bobbing up and down in the water.

She swept the flashlight around the surrounding area as she picked up speed, anxiety quickly building up.

_If not drowning, then hypothermia..._

She holstered her weapon and flashlight, satisfied that whoever had attacked him took off, and walked into the pond. The water quickly soaked through all of her clothes and her muscles screamed as the chilled liquid froze them. In a few quick strides she could clearly identify Leon, his hair splayed underwater. Waist deep, Rebecca reached out a hand and grabbed his arm, pulling him back towards the shore. She flipped him on his back and pulled him all the way out of the water, feeling for a pulse. He had one, but it was weak.

_CPR... he needs CPR..._

Rebecca noted his cold skin as she breathed into his mouth, a wave of despair washing over her.

"Come on, come on..." She spoke quietly as she pumped his chest, occasionally feeling a weak heartbeat. His body suddenly spasmed as his head rolled to the side and he spat out water, coughing.

"Leon!" Rebecca called, relieved. Leon rolled over, opting to sit on his knees.

"Rebecca..." He started, still breathing hard. "Th-thank you..." He managed to give her a quick smile before vomiting up more water.

"I'm going to lift you up. It'll be easier to help in the car." Rebecca said, lifting his cold arm around her neck. He nodded and began to stand up, faltering slightly as gained his footing. Together they made their way to Rebecca's car, and she leaned him up against it as she opened her trunk, revealing a blanket. She wrapped it around him and he nodded gratefully.

Rebecca looked around the parking lot warily. It was just as quiet as when she got there. Whoever had attacked Leon was long gone, and she needed to get him back to her house. The roads looked clear enough...

"Hey," She started, fixing her attention on her shivering friend. "Do you think you'll make it back to the house if you follow behind me in your car?" It'd be dangerous, but it wasn't a long drive. After all, it'd be better to get his car someplace safe.

_That and I'd rather not call everyone tonight. Best to just let Leon rest._

Leon's gaze grew stern after a moment and he nodded.

"It'll be best to keep a low profile. I won't have my lights on." He rasped. "Let's go." Leon turned to his car, the blanket still wrapped around his body. After a moment of fumbling through his pockets he started toward the 'Vette.

The Beretta on her side suddenly felt heavy as she closed the trunk and made her way around the Altima. And to think that moments before he had called she was silently scolding him.

_Well, don't think about that. He's here, you saved his life. He's in debt to you now. Use it and make him never disappear again._

Rebecca smiled at the idea as she started the car and pulled it into drive. Forcing Leon to keep in touch and never stray too far from the pack sounded like a good idea.

A trucker pulled into the rest station right as she rejoined the highway. When she and Leon got home, she'd make sure to tell him that.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Heya, guys. Well, a promise is a promise: here's the next chapter. Sorry for its short length, I haven't been writing much because I've been studying for finals.

They're done, though, so starting next week I should be able to bang these chapters out quicker.

* * *

??

The gravel crunched softly under Leon's footsteps as he walked around the desolate village. He was in a sort of town square, with a church tower up north and a large house to his left. There was a bonfire in front of him.

_What's- oh my god._

A charred body was impaled on the sticks, an open-eyed gaze looking back at him. Leon inspected the body carefully - tall, gun belt, leather jacket...

_Jesus-_

Leon jumped back and turned around, wanting to run as far away from his dead body as he could, but suddenly he surrounded by people wearing black robes. He was no longer in a village, but a castle. The monks were chanting in a foreign language.

"_Morir es vivir... morir es vivir..."_

Leon reached for his weapon and his mind went numb as he felt only an empty holster. The monks closed in, grabbing his arms and legs. Against his struggling they forced him to a kneeling position, his arms stretched out to either side by their grasp. He caught a glimpse of a monk in red, holding a large scythe. Their chanting grew louder, faster, and his head was forced down. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the scythe raise up, level with his neck.

"No... _no..._" He moaned as he struggled to break free.

The scythe swung down.

--

Rebecca's House

Leon woke up, out of breath. He quickly surveyed his surroundings, his recurring nightmare quickly fading from view: he was in a bed in an almost-completely dark room. There was a faint, familiar odor around him...

_Rebecca._

His memories rushed back to him - along with a splitting headache. He sat up, leaning against the backboard, remembering. He had been knocked unconscious by someone and thrown into a pond while he was talking to Rebecca on the phone. Rebecca had found him and they made it to her house. Then...

Past that he couldn't remember anything. Perhaps he had blacked out by the time he had gotten inside. He spotted a dim digital clock next to the bed: 3:47.

_Rebecca. I gotta find Rebe-_

There was a small shift in the bed sheets on the other side of the bed.

_Oh._

Rebecca had flipped around and was now facing him, eyes closed and hands wrapped in blankets that twisted around her like a soft cocoon. Her deep breaths confirmed his suspicions - she was fast asleep.

_She saved me. Pulled me out of a watery grave and she wouldn't have had to if I hadn't let down my guard._

Her face suddenly cringed into a pained expression and she mumbled something incoherent. She turned back over, facing away from Leon, and fell quiet again.

_Nightmares. I bet she has them every night, too._

It was undoubtedly the most painful effect out of everything Umbrella had done. Reliving everything Leon had gone through did nothing for his sanity, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't considered ending his life on more than one occasion.

"L-Leon..." Rebecca mumbled.

_Probably sleep talking._

"Yeah?" He replied softly.

"T-Take a shower... ...you smell like dirt..." She trailed off. Leon bit back a chuckle, knowing she was right.

"Alright," He said, but she didn't respond. Leon quietly slipped out of the bed and made his way into her bathroom.

--

Rebecca's House

Rebecca woke up in a daze, her mind cloudy and blank. Slowly last night's events returned to her. The curtains held back most of the sun and, judging by the time on the nightstand, Rebecca could see she overslept by an hour.

_Leon-_

She looked to the other side of the bed but found only ruffled blankets. She had ended up drugging him so he would go to bed despite his protests, and he had conveniently passed out on the bed.

_Last night was because he couldn't help it. Tonight he gets the guest room. Do I smell Coffee?_

Awesome - fresh coffee. Rebecca swung her legs out and sat up, letting out a refreshed yawn as she eyed the clock: 7:19. Roughly forty minutes before the team came - enough time to wash up, grab a cup of coffee, and get the inside scoop on what Leon had been up to all this time.


	5. Chapter 5

'Sup, people.

Enjoy.

* * *

Ten minutes later

Rebecca was at the stairwell when she heard the stereo, softly playing one of her numerous albums, and was at the bottom of the stairs when she recognized the tune.

_"The jig is up,_

_the loser's out,_

_they finally found me._

_The renegade who had it made_

_retrieved for the bounty._

_Never more to go astray_

_This will be the ended day_

_of the wanted man..."_

Rebecca leaned against the door frame that led into the computer room. Leon was sifting through folders upon folders of research- He had changed clothes and was now wearing a gray-green shirt with tan khakis. She smiled as he glanced up, seeing her.

"D'you think this song was made for you?" She asked, watching his gaze fade momentarily before he met her eyes and let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm back, and I'm not going anywhere. And your music rocks." He shot her a quick smile and lifted up the folder he was holding. "Been tracking me, have you?" He asked.

"Why yes, yes we have. You're one elusive son-of-a-bitch."

"Yeah, well. I have to be." He responded. "You did a good job of it, though. I'll give you the finer details of my exploits later."

"You should have come to us sooner." Rebecca said, her voice revealing a little hurt.

"Rebecca," Leon started, perhaps looking for something to say. "You know I couldn't have done that. With Wesker hot on my tail, if I had come to you any sooner we'd-"

"Bullshit." Rebecca interjected as she stood up, walking over to where he was. "That's bullshit and you know it. We could have helped you hunt him down - we could have gotten rid of him by now."

"I'll admit I did become obsessed over hunting him down." Leon stood up, suddenly towering over Rebecca. "But do understand it was for your safety. Had I made even one call to you-"

Rebecca nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's just..." She gave up trying to talk and simply wrapped her arms around him. "It's good to see you again."

She felt him return the embrace. "Yeah. You too." They stood there a moment longer before retracting. "I made coffee." Leon said, nodding toward the kitchen.

"Awesome," Rebecca replied. "The team will be here in less than half an hour. I'm sure they'll be _delighted_ to see you." she said, looking over her shoulder.

"I don't think _delighted_ is the right word for it..." he called out.

--

Half an hour later

The rest of the team had mixed reactions to Leon's presence, but no one had been as warm as Rebecca.

Chris had almost shot him when Leon opened the door, and Jill had done a double-take. Barry went wide-eyed but quickly regained his bearings and smiled. Claire threw a fit. Leon had called Ada earlier that morning, and she was reportedly on her way.

Now everyone was in the living room, all eyes on Leon as he told his story.

"...And he's been doing more experiments with the TC Virus. The problem is that with the TC Virus, hosts keep their selves, their sanity. Everyone imagine a... crimson head? I think that's what Chris called it - that can think, work in groups, and fire weapons. Their weak point is their aggression - anger them and they turn more animal than human."

"These things were in Hale?"

"Yeah. And North Dakota."

"So why did you come here? Why now?"

"Because our next hit may be the lethal blow."

"You mean-"

"Yeah. Wesker."

At his name everyone in the team quieted down, each remembering their run-ins with the man. For everyone minus Claire and Leon, it had been the mansion. Barry probably had it worst, followed by Rebecca at a close second. Chris and Claire met him once more in Antarctica.

_"What is it that you fight for, anyway?"_

"So, when do we go?" Chris asked suddenly, bringing everyone back to the present moment.

"This is going to be a three-man operation. Any more and we'd be risking too much." Leon said, wishing to get that cleared up as quickly as possible.

_Sorry, Chris. You'll have to sit this one out._

"You sure this source of yours is reliable?" Barry said gruffly, eyeing Leon. "A three-man operation for the biggest popsicle stand yet?"

"It's actually not very big. It's a testing ground, but that doesn't mean it's large - it's actually much smaller than the Spencer labs. It's the main base because that's where all the hard computer work gets done. Three people really is already pushing it."

"And did you have two people in mind?"

"Well, yes. My source advised someone with medical skills-" Leon saw Rebecca perk up out of the corner of his eye. "-and someone to back me up."

"And who might that be?" Jill asked. Up until now Leon hadn't noticed that Chris and Jill's fingers were interlaced.

"I'll tell you when she gets here." There was a small murmur of disapproval from both Chris and Barry. Claire had been sifting through the folders in the briefcase that Leon had received from the bar.

"And what are we going to do? Stand here and wait?" Chris asked tersely.

"Of course not, Chris. While we're down there mopping up, I want all of _you_ to be topside, a few klicks away from the prison. If anything should go wrong, Chris and Barry'll come down to help. In the meantime, we'll also need comm. channels clear for things like schematics and the sort. Claire, you're good at that kind of stuff, right?" Claire looked up and nodded.

Leon let out a sigh. "I know everyone wants to be on the front lines, fighting this themselves. But think about it: when this works, it's over. Everything is over. No more fighting, no more dying. We can all go home."

There was silence at that. The odds were good that it wouldn't work, that they'd all die a horrendous death fighting some sort of biological abomination. Their lives were like that. Slowly they all nodded in agreement.

A soft clicking of high heels echoed through the now-silent house. Ada appeared in the doorway.

"Sounds good to me." She said, looking directly at Leon.

--

_Rebecca's Journal; Entry 14_

_I had the nightmare again. Each time it's getting more vivid. I can almost smell the rancid mansion..._

_I just hope these nightmares go away. I don't think I can take much more of them._

_Leon's back. He had called me but then was attacked and thrown into a half-frozen pond. I ended up pulling him out - talk about a reunion. I made him promise to not leave or go on hiatus like last time - I know, it sounds childish to make promises with people so they'll never leave, but I don't think I really had a better alternative._

_Leon didn't waste any time. Apparently he has information about Umbrella's - Wesker's - main lab. He says if we can take it out, it's all over. We can finally live again without carrying a gun around everywhere._

_The team dispersed for the night. Leon said the hit will happen in three days, giving us time to organize, plan, and rest up. He wants me and Ada to come with him into the facility - he wants to make use of my medical skills in the event of injury. Or worse._

_But as for Ada, well. Even though she's as cold as ice, her eyes give her away - I think she and Leon have or had at a point some kind of relationship, although I don't think it's my place to find out just how deep their roots run. They left a few hours ago. Leon said he'd be back soon. I wonder what they're up to?_


	6. Chapter 6

I'M SORRY!

Really, I'm super sorry about how long I've been. With work all the time, a painful truth on my mind and school work almost due, the story was put on the lowest slot of what's important. I'm trying as hard as I can to get myself focused enough to write this, so I included my latest section, as well.

* * *

Nighttime, Los Angeles

Leon ducked down just in time to miss Ada's fist. He jumped to the side and threw a jab, deflected by Ada's elbow. He didn't know the fine details of why they were in a gym after hours, but he had somehow been convinced by Ada that a nice match of sparring would do them both good. Needless to say, it had become something other than a light-contact game.

He choked as Ada snuck an uppercut through his guard and caught him square in the chest. Leon pushed against the mat to fall back, but Ada was already on him again.

_Why couldn't I have fallen for someone normal?_

He swung his entire arm in an arc and she countered it at the arm -

-_perfect-_

-but she was too high, and Leon closed his joint and brought her in close. He felt her unsteady breath on his face as he watched the surprise in her face melt away.

"Oh, please. I know you can do better." She said before slipping out from under his grip. Leon brought his guard up just in time to block a kick to the face, and then he was ready again.

Ada had changed her stance - she was now much lower to the ground, her dark red dress covering her lower body, her slender, sexy legs...

Leon was rewarded for his momentary lapse in attention with another kick at the face, and that time it connected.

_Hey. Focus. _His right cheek felt hot with pain and sweat.

"Nice," He murmured, trying to regain his orientation.

"Keep your eyes on the prize, Leon." Ada proclaimed, a slight chuckle audible through her words.

"Oh, you have _no_ idea." Leon shot back, resuming his own stance. She had speed over him, but he had strength - which didn't mean anything here, because there was no way in hell he was going to use it on _her_.

Ada was already coming in again, this time throwing a high fist. Leon backed up, watching her.

_She baiting me._

She took a step forward and threw another fist, and this time Leon pushed her arm out of the way and sidestepped, now on her outside. He pushed her shoulders forward and immediately pulled them back and down, and, gasping, Ada fell. He looked down at her, smiling.

"How's the view?" He asked, and she smiled back.

"Not bad, but..." She started. Leon suddenly felt something kick his knees and he began falling torward Ada, swearing at himself for not paying more attention. He shot his arms out to either side of her head, catching himself before he flattened her. Ada grabbed one of his arms and yanked it onto her chest, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the left. Ada pushed on his other shoulder, causing him to roll onto his back. Ada was already in action, on top of Leon before he could react. He tried to move his arms but she was holding them in place.

"But... I think I like this view more." Ada finished, smiling.

_She's got me._ Leon let his head drop to the ground and stopped struggling. Their heavy breaths mingled as they looked into each other's eyes. Ada sank down deep, her lips almost connecting with his.

"Thanks for the workout, handsome," Ada spoke quietly, and then immediately retracted, standing up and briskly walking to the door. She looked over her shoulder as she opened it. "See you in three days." She finished. Leon, now sitting up, watched her walk out, leaving him alone in the gym.

_When will you learn, Leon? The girl is poison._

He smiled at the metaphor, and after a moment got up and left, too, heading back towards Rebecca's.

--

Nighttime, Rebecca's House

Rebecca sat at her desk, looking mildly into the computer screen in the dark, tea in hand. The monitor was displaying the information she'd gathered about the TC virus, Umbrella's latest conquest, It worked pretty much the same way as the t-virus did, and at a first glance they could be mistaken for one another.

The phone rang, and Rebecca swung around to grab it - too fast. The tea sloshed up against the side of the cup and splashed over, creating a nice, small stain on her carpet.

_Great..._ She inspected the mess. _That's never coming out. _

Something caught her eye; the glint of a sliver washer on an army-boot. Her eyes widened and she felt lightheaded as she realized that boot hadn't been there before, nor had the person wearing it. Above the footwear she saw a jet-black suit and connected to that a sadistic, beaming face.

Rebecca swallowed hard as she took in the man's features. Their hair was a dirty blond, seemingly gelled back. There were no flaws about the face and behind dark sunglasses she could see a pair of glowing, orange eyes.

She remembered this man from her memories. When she and Chris had gotten beneath the surface of the Spencer Mansion, he was there, too. He had shot her chest with a handgun.

The same handgun that he held now. The same handgun aimed directly at her now.

He fired once, and the shot rang in Rebecca's ears, loud and sharp. She felt the bullet enter her body, and when she looked down at her chest she could only see her blood pouring out from her heart, her light green shirt turning a dark crimson.

Rebecca lost her orientation and felt herself fall, and she looked up into Wesker's orange eyes, she let out a torn, painful scream...

--

Nighttime, Rebecca's House

Leon had heard Rebecca's cry of terror as soon as he had put on his kakhis and a olive drab shirt, having just stepped out of the shower, and immediately bolted out of the bathroom, heading for her room. Through the darkness he could see her figure in her bed rapidly. He quickly went to her side and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Rebecca? Rebecca!" He called lightly. In response, she jumped up to a sitting position, breathing light and fast. Leon could make out her wide-eyed, terror-wracked expression.

"Rebecca, it's me, Leon. Are you with me?" He asked, slightly worried that perhaps she'd completely lost it.

"L-Leon?" She sputtered erratically. "Oh, god... goddamn it..." She suddenly whispered, her words softening as she went limp, leaning against Leon with her face in the crook of his neck. He could feel small tears dampen his shirt.

_Bad dreams. Damn them to hell._

"There, there... It's alright..." He crooned gently, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close.

The two sat like that for a while, until Rebecca spoke up.

"He... he had shot me. Back at the Spencer Mansion," She said quietly, like what she was saying was a close secret. "He shot me right in the chest. I was wearing the standard-issue body armor... the same one that's downstairs..." She trailed off, her words turning into a yawn.

"Well, don't worry," Leon spoke reassuringly. "By this time next week, Wesker will be a memory, and _only_ a memory."

Rebecca returned the hug, and Leon let her fall back onto her pillow. "Yeah. Thanks for waking me up from that... nightmare." She replied. "Goodnight."

Leon stood up. "Goodnight." He said, making his way toward the hallway, and closed the door as he left. He felt a buzzing in his pocket, followed by his phone's ring tone.

"_If you want blood, you've got it..." _He cut the music and opened the phone. a message on the screen informed him he had a new message from a private number. The only word in the message was "computer".

_Huh... alright..._ Leon made his way downstairs, to what Rebecca had called her 'battle station'. It was aptly named, with enough files, folders, and loose paper to make an entire tree. Amidst the chaos sat a single computer terminal, which Leon sat down at. The monitor a blinking a question at him.

_A Peer-to-Peer connection has been requested by an unknown computer. Accept? Yes/No_

Leon clicked Yes, and instantly the computer came to life, downloading files in a folder named "Three Days".

_Information on the hit? Probably from Ada._

Inside he found more schematics, Guard positions, entrances, and everything else he could possibly have asked for on the prison complex.

_This may be easier than I had thought, all things considered... _He smiled smugly. _No cake walk, but it's looking possible now._

He had no idea.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

Really haven't written as much as I'd have liked to, but life is full of inconveniences. Enjoy.

* * *

**Three Days Later: Sixty miles north of Hawthorne, Nevada.**

"Alright, everyone remember what we're doing here. When we succeed, everything is over. We can all live the lives we've wanted to for so long. Jill, I want to see pictures of your and Chris's kid. Rebecca, go back to that Bio-Chemistry job you have. I'm sure all the old, grumpy scientists miss your wisdom. Barry - go visit your family. How long has it been since you last saw them? Too long? Claire. Well, I guess you got the shortest end of the stick out of us all. Brought into all of this purely by chance... Never finished college, did you?

Each of our lives has been disassembled and torn by Umbrella... by Wesker. Tonight, we shall quell this threat, and make the world a much, much safer place to be.

--

**Fifteen minutes later.**

"And who might you be?" One of the main guards at the gate asked, eyeing Leon with an intensity that Rebecca could not identify. They had gotten to the prison site just a while ago - She, Leon and Ada were at the main "entrance", while Claire, Barry and Jill were a mile off, in a Chevy Express, waiting for the signal to come and haul their asses out of the hot zone - They had switched cars before getting to the facility, arriving in a jet-black SUV. Chris had declined staying with them, instead saying something about helping from above...

_He was in the Air Force, maybe he got a helicopter prepped for assistance, or extraction?_

The guards wore an all-black suit, with body armor, a riot helmet, and MP5s. Their faces were concealed by a balaclava and Rebecca noticed, with some dissatisfaction, that each had a gas mask connected to their hips for easy access.

_In case of contamination. Outbreak._

"Your worst nightmare." Leon replied coldly, showing the guard some false paperwork that said he was a top executive in the new Umbrella Corporation. The entire team was wearing black clothing - a tight 5.11 undershirt, a bulletproof vest and an Umbrella Pin on their lapel. All three had a Glock 18 sidearm and matching L85A2 rifle slung over their shoulders, compliments of Ada. Apparently these weapons were the norm for the higher-ups, as they were hoping to look.

_Though I probably look a little young to be a higher-up..._

"I don't know what you're doing here, but, uh, alright." The guard spoke as he gave Leon a questioning look before averting his eyes. "Open the gate." He yelled, and the massive bars behind him slid apart, giving the team a clear view of the bright stainless-steel hallway in front of them. There was a door at the end, blocked by another guard that looked identical to the one in front of them. As they approached he turned stiffly and opened the door, quickly moving out of the way for the team. Rebecca was fairly certain he was intimidated by them.

_All the easier for us._

She looked around the vast room they entered with a feeling of slight shock. Four stories' worth of cell after cell, whose sizes were so small she was positive they were illegal. In front of each, the standard heavy class iron bars that kept the prisoners inside their cells. None of _this_ surprised her, not in the least. She'd in fact been to worse legitimate prisons. Her feeling of shock came from how silent it was.

There was nothing coming from the hundreds of people that occupied this room. Not even whispering. Rebecca scanned the row in front of her and found that none of the prisoners were even _looking_ at her. Quite a few were shaking, in fact.

_I've seen fear in prisons, but this..._

What dumbfounded her more was the lack of guards in the entire area of the room - There was a single soldier on the top floor. Leon had said the number was in the low thirties - something that would _never _happen.

She snapped back into focus when she felt Leon's fingers brush against hers as he took the front of the group - it was a warning to stay at attention, and she knew she'd do well to remember it. She and Ada followed in his lead, toward a door on the left.

_They're all afraid because they know somethings up, too. How many people have they seen go down there and not come back up?_

She eyed a prisoner rocking back and forth on his cot next to the door before she went through it.

_They may be bad people, but they don't deserve to be used as test subjects._

The door led to another hallway lined with more doors and the end made a sharp right turn and past that, there was an elevator. Rebecca made sure to note that there was a door with a 'stairs' symbol on it.

The team of three stepped into the elevator and Rebecca watched as Leon hit the B4 button.

--

**Underground Umbrella Research and Administration Facility.**

A monitor that Leon hadn't noticed until just then flickered to life as the elevator began it's ascent.

"Please pay attention to the following. Under normal circumstances," A smooth female voice informed them as an image of a crude translucent elevator box appeared. "The bottom levels of this facility will be illuminated in pure fluorescent light." The elevator box on screen got brighter as lights inside of it turned on. "In the event of emergency, the lights will change to one of three different colors depending on intruder alert," The box turned a pinkish red. "Fire or accident warning," The box colorized into a pale yellow. "Or biohazard contamination." The pale yellow faded into blue. "In the event of multiple emergencies, the florescent lighting will adjust accordingly." The image faded away and brought up the three emergency names and their colors. One by one the combinations were made - Intruder alert and Accident warning produced orange, Biohazard and Intruder produced purple, and so on.

_Alright, but what if all three-_

"In the event of all three occurrences, the fluorescent lighting will dim out completely, save the direct pathways to the elevator, which will strobe red. In the event of all three emergencies, detonation of the facility is standard protocol. Have a nice day." The audio cut out and the monitor turned off. A glass box embedded in the wall lit up, revealing five unmarked gas masks. Leon took three of them out, handing two to Ada and Rebecca. As he handed Ada hers he felt her fingers slide across his own, a movement nobody else would have been able to see. His eyes darted up to hers but she wore a face of discernment - and for the first time, Leon thought he noticed a tinge of sadness in her averted eyes.

_Oh, no. She's got plans of her own._

A fact that he had predicted ever since she had sent him the information on the hit. It was so precise, so detailed and exact - There was most definitely something that she was after within these corridors. It hadn't bothered him as much before that she hadn't taken a ride in the Express - she had arrived before them in a soccer-mom SUV with her own driver. Now things were starting to look... well... inevitable.

The elevator doors slid open and Leon buckled the mask to his belt, the rest of the team following suit.

_Would you look at that. Another bland hallway._

Unsurprising - it seemed Umbrella was all about long, claustrophobic, empty hallways with generic steel doors at the end.

_This'll empty out into the test chambers... and beyond that, another elevator to Wekser's personal station._

Past the door, the room expanded into a large dome-like structure laced with wires and blinking lights connected to machinery that seemed to hold disgusting almost-human _things_ in what Leon could only imagine were stasis pods, filled up with a yellowish water. There were five guards in this area by Leon's count, and the rest were scientists. It was the white biohazard suits that gave them away. A few of the scientists looked away from their studies to scrutinize the team of supposed top executives with an apathetic eye before returning to their work. They made their way through the labyrinth of machines and found the door on the opposite side of the dome, entering a small room lined with vents and a piece of paper with words scrawled on it: "Put on gas masks, push button for cycle. It's not that hard, retards." Leon bit back a smile upon reading the note. He was sure it was from the scientists aimed at the guards.

_Why need brains when you have a gun, after all?_

Leon donned his gas mask - it was the kind that had a screen in front so you could see the wearer's face. Apparently Umbrella didn't trust the masked individuals. He also noted that the device was electronic - he had trouble breathing at first until a small green light in his peripheral vision illuminated, and his breathing returned to normal. A quick glance back at his team showed that they were ready, and he pushed the button the note said to.

The lights dimmed and Leon heard a fan start up. Instantly white smoke, he guessed sanitizer, poured into the room. It hung in the air for a minute before another fan activated and sucked it out. A light turned green on the door ahead of them, and he tried the handle.

_Next stop, testing labs..._


	8. Chapter 8

Well, school's back in session, so I'm trying to finish this story up as fast as I can while still being in depth. It's not easy.

So anyway, this chapter is a LOT longer than my others, and it's a really hard hitter, especially at the end, which I did not intend. It's finishing up, as you may be able to tell, but there'll be a third part. Problem is, I simply don't know when I'll write it.

Tell you what: once this is finished, if you hit me up on AIM and urge me to write part 3, I probably will. (Dead I Rain)

* * *

**Underground Umbrella Research and Administration Facility.**

Ada stepped into the next room directly behind Leon, often finding herself gazing at his back then what she shouldn't have - but this problem quickly faded, along with any sort of libido that had been building up when the smell hit her.

_Oh, dear god. I think I'm going to puke._

The somewhat familiar scent of decaying flesh hit her as hard as an ocean mist. Even through the gas mask, the stench somehow found its way through the air-tight equipment. She'd encountered it so many times before, all in different parts of the world.

The subjects were in cages, each being monitored by three or four scientists.

_Ah, so THAT explains the lack of guards._

Ada was actually a tad surprised she hadn't figured it out sooner - auto-turrets were at the corner of each wall. Save expenses, _and_ never miss a shot, but they were the kind of model that would need to cool down in between magazines.

Ada counted roughly 30 cages and, to her dismay, cooperating, mindful subjects.

_So Wesker got the TC Virus here. Great._

Only a few were TC hosts. The rest, she guessed, were just t-virus bodies used for experimentation.

They were only about halfway through the room when a quiet, maniacal chuckle wafted through the intercom. The fluorescent lights turned light red and began to strobe.

"Intruder Alert. Evacuate immediately." The silky computer voice from before started. "Calmly make your way to the elevators. This is not a drill." Leon rubbed his boot against his other one as he walked, and simultaneously the group unslung their weapons.

"Intruders, eh?" She heard one of the test subjects say. "Why don't we treat these Umbrella captains with a _real_ show of what their scientists can do?" There was a murmur of agreement among the other subjects. All of the scientists walked past the trio, not even offering a glance.

_They don't know it's us yet..._

Leon opened the hatch that would lead them to the next room, and closed it behind Rebecca just as the computer spoke again.

"Intruders confirmed in level B4, Hatch 2. Intruders are armed and highly dangerous. Strike force engaged."

"Cover blown, get ready." Leon said, and for the first time Ada realized how much of a soldier he had become.

_Where did you think all of that training went, dummy?_

She simply nodded, raising her rifle toward the door. Leon hit the button that began the sanitation cycle, and the familiar green light turned on. She watched him press himself against the door and inched it open. Almost instantly she heard the repeating tap of automatic gunfire coming from the auto-turrets beating against the door. Over the guns, she heard a distinct, telltale chuckle.

_Wesker._

"Well, this is cute. A three-person squad, coming to assassinate me. I do thank you for... coming on such a day as this. I know you've already seen the new test subjects..."

Leon seemed to pay Wesker no mind, and was already scoping out the small portion of the room that he could see beyond the mostly-shut door. He lifted a finger straight ahead of him and his hand opened, palming down.

_Be quick, be low._

"Please exit the cycle chamber." The computer asked tentatively. "Other faculty members are waiting for use.

_The strike team?_

The group got low and huddled next to the door, and as soon as the machine gun fire stopped, they shot out, Ada following on Leon's toes. She immediately saw what they were going for- a concrete wall that extended into a hallway lined with doors.

_Ah, yes. The office sector. And that means that we have to go through these cubicles._

Leon took the corner of the wall and Ada fell in right next to him. There was a blur as Rebecca hit the floor, laying down completely with her gun aimed down the hallway. She looked over at Leon, who was peaking his head past the wall at the auto-guns on the ceiling.

The door that they had come out of automatically closed, the next group of people being washed over. Leon looked back at her, his face partially covered by the glare of light on his visor.

_Don't look into his eyes don't-_

Ada couldn't help herself. She felt time stop as she gazed at him, noting, not for the first time, how handsome he really was. She knew that if she really wanted to, she could get lost in those bright, blue eyes all day.

It was the clicking of Rebecca's boots that brought her back. "I've got the door." She said, averting her gaze. She saw Leon nod and, after a moment, resume his gaze down the hallway.

"The guns will be offline for another minute or so, plenty of time to-"

The sanitation door opened and Ada opened up on it, taking down someone garbed in black. One more followed suit, but the rest stayed behind. One of them popped a smoke canister and rolled it out.

_BAM!_

The canister suddenly exploded and flew back through the door - Ada looked behind her and saw that Rebecca had rolled over onto her back and had shot the grenade.

"Let's go, now!" Leon yelled as he turned the corner. Ada kept her weapon trained on the door as she slapped Rebecca's boots, and Rebecca rolled around, quickly getting up and skirting past Ada and through the room leading to the cubicles. Ada inched her way toward the corner and shot around it, suddenly in full sprint toward the elevator at the end of the room where Leon already was, in a crouch aiming past her.

_Wait, where's-_

"Rebecca!" Leon called. Ada reached him and promptly aimed back, watching the door they had come through intensely. Leon called again, and she saw Rebecca peeling out of a cubicle, her weapon slung over her shoulders and something in her hand. There was movement from the door, and Leon fired once, hitting the assailant right on the forehead. Their head rocked back and they fell with a thick _thud_.

_That was over 200 meters. Wow._

"Rebecca, what the hell?" Leon asked as she approached, now facing the elevator, weapon level with head-height.

"I found _this_." Rebecca replied through heavy breathing, amplified by the gas mask. She held up a vial filled with a clear liquid. "It's labeled _TCx_; I think it's a pure strain." She shoved it into her belt, and the tip of it shined against the flat black suit she wore. Ada eyed the vial, shocked that she had forgotten the _real_ reason why she was here...

--

The elevator was empty - and identical to the other one they went through.

_Ironic how people with such imagination tend to be so... unimaginative._

Leon beckoned Rebecca through, followed by Ada.

_What is he doing? More people are going to come through the door-_

_-Oh._

Rebecca watched as Leon primed a grenade and tossed it at the door in the back of the room. It bounced off the wall siding the door and then slid into the crevice between the wall and the door.

_Wow. That was a nice throw._

The grenade detonated, blowing the door off of its hinges and after the smoke cleared, Rebecca could see that the small sterilization room had been painted a dark crimson. The lights changed from that slight pink-ish color to a yellowish tinge, before turning orange.

"Fire or accident detected," The computer voice from before spoke. "Please make your way to the exit in a calm and orderly fashion. Multiple threats detected. Intruder alert detected. Accident detected. Please exit the lab in a calm and orderly fashion. Special operatives have been deployed."

_Well, that's just perfect._

Leon stepped into the elevator and Rebecca looked him over. She immediately noticed that right now there was nothing friendly about him: his eyes were dark and set, and even through the gas mask she could tell his jaw was locked into place. His hands held his weapon with an intensity Rebecca had _never _seen on him before, and it scared her a little.

_This is what he does. This is his job._

She suddenly picked up that he was looking at Ada, and that she was probably returning the gaze, and she realized that his glare was entirely impersonal - he was in the zone, what some called the "Battle High".

_Of course he's in a battle high, stupid. This is Wesker. Get ready, here comes the hard part._

The elevator doors slid shut behind them and Leon pushed the down button. The elevator shuddered and began to move.

"Leon Kennedy... as I assumed... and Ada Wong?" Wesker's cold, maliciously calm voice floated across the air. "What are _you_ doing here?"

None of them replied.

"And who's this? Oh my," he spoke again, a slight chuckle mixing into his words. "Ex-STARS member, Rebecca Chambers. Coming along for the ride? Seems like you're a bit of a third wheel," He finished, laughing. "Oh, do I have a nasty surprise for you all..."

Leon motioned for the team to get on the walls, and they did so. The elevator stopped, and the doors slid open. A grenade rolled into the elevator and Rebecca's eyes went wide.

_Oh, hell._

Without thinking she unslung her rifle and, using the stock, whacked it back out of the door. It detonated in the room, spraying shrapnel into the elevator but missing the team.

_I am going to kiss the person who thought up Golf._

Leon turned the corner and fired as enemies Rebecca couldn't see, followed by Ada. Rebecca skirted past the doors as they began to close, and found that they were in a small white room that extended into a hallway, ending at a door.

_The target room._

Rebecca had counted was five people dead, the last falling as they were shot. Two bodies were a ragged, bloody heap, and she guessed that they had fallen victim to their own grenade.

_A pity how so many perfectly good people can become-_

"Rebecca, watch out!" Leon yelled, kicking Rebecca out of her dream, and she noticed that at her feet was an incendiary bomb, rolled by the soldier that fell.

_SHIT._

She jumped backwards...

Slowly she opened her eyes, trying to look past the blur that her head had conjured and made out the silhouette of Ada, shooting toward the door in front of her. Her thoughts came back and she assessed the situation. The air smelled like burned Kevlar.

_Protected by clothing, no concussion-_

He vision came back and she saw that she was looking through a cracked gas mask.

_Still may work._

"I'm good!" She yelled, standing up with her rifle out, aiming and firing towards the door. Someone who was just entering the room hit the ground, dead.

"Let's go, then." Leon spoke, walking towards the hallway without a glance back at either of them.

_Rude, but he's right. Get going._

Rebecca relaxed her weapon she approached the hallway, eyeing the sides with a sense of dread about her; she hadn't noticed before, but the walls here seemed somewhat... shiny.

A sudden beam of light that stretched to either wall appeared on the far side of the hall, and drifted toward the team.

_Laser grid, what-_

Ada chuckled. "Oh, Wesker. Using outdated technology? Shame on you." She said, and Rebecca noticed she had pulled out a miniature device and, after a few button presses, the laser switched off. Wesker's maniacal laugh fluttered across the comm., but he said nothing.

The lights flickered blue. "Attention personnel, all bio-hazardous specimens have been released as requested by code-input." The computer voice said.

_A trick._

"Come on!" Leon yelled as he started sprinting down the corridor, and Rebecca and Ada followed. She ripped the gas mask off of her face and let it hit the ground at her feet as she felt for her weapon.

_Remember the plan; He's going to be right in the center-_

Leon kicked the door open and immediately hit the ground, weapon out. Ada stopped in between his outstretched legs and crouched down, almost on top of him. Rebecca kept standing, her weapon pointed directly in front of her. For a split second she couldn't see anything in the room, but as she looked through the sights of her L85A2, she found what she was looking for: the chair.

She tasted iron in her mouth as her heart beat hard. Her fingers stiffened as her grip on the rifle was tightened. She felt beads of sweat rolling down her face and odd strands of hair plastered to her temples as her eye focused through the iron sights of the weapon. The noise around her died out, save the quick, short inhale and her heartbeat, sounding slow as a drum. She held her breath and fired.

For a millisecond there was nothing. That millisecond lasted an eternity.

Then she felt the jolt of the rifle in her hands verberate through her body and saw the short spout of flames fire in front of her. A deep and low _crack_ came from the firearm, and it echoed in the firearms of those around her. A single casing flew out of the starboard side of the weapon and in her peripheral vision she watched it knock against the wall.

There was no movement from her or from any of the team and her mind swayed as she fought to comprehend what she just did.

_Wesker, I killed Wesker -_

Her next worst fears made their arrival as a malicious, cold and unyielding laugh made its way over the PA and into her ears. She never stopped holding her weapon up, never averted her eyes from the chair, even as Leon and Ada stood up and looked at one another and her, and never took a breath as the next words she heard were spoken.

"I'm curious, I really am. Did you _really_ think that I'd be so easy a hit? That I'd really let you get _this_ far into where I reside, had I not intended it? And do you _really_ believe that I'd be so foolish as to leave a note saying my location?

"I'm not there. I've never been there. Not once have I stepped foot in that room or any other room you've gone through. This was all an elaborate experiment and you've been quite the willing subjects.

"Leon, did you think that man you talked to in the bar was really anti-Umbrella? How could he have gotten all of the necessary information without having been _given_ it? But you didn't even need that, did you? A simple red herring was all it _really_ took.

"And Ada, the information you're crack-job "experts" had gotten - it was all a hoax. And all of the numbers are wrong. Although you have admittedly gotten me with the reason why you're _here_... This isn't your expertise; this is more of something _Dead_ _Rain_ would do.

"The reason you're all here is because we needed the next level up from basic soldiers to test for our projects. And you all are more than qualified. I'm so glad you were all willing to walk right into this. Whether you make it out of here alive or not won't matter - either way, I'll have the data. So enjoy what may be the last fight you ever have to go through. It's going to be fun."

Rebecca's weapon dropped from her hands and clattered against the ground, and as the lights went out, her legs did, too.

* * *

_Please _write a review, they're easy and only take a few seconds! I'd _really_ appreciate any and all feedback.


	9. Chapter 9

It's been a while, I know. I've had some things do to, but I decided that you've all waited far long enough. This is among the last chapters, there will only be a few more after this.

* * *

_Well, fuck._

Another setup; another red herring. Such had happened to Leon many times before -never to _this_ extent, but he certainly wasn't... well, surprised.

_Could be worse. We could be-_

The silky computer voice that Leon had come to hate cut through his thoughts.

"Self-destruct sequence initiated. Detonation in ten minutes."

_- dead... Great._

He looked over at Ada and she gazed back at him with a distant, knowing stare.

_She knew. She knew the information was off. She was fully aware Wesker wasn't here._

The all-too-familiar pain of realization and dismay shot through him like a bullet.  
_We can lament for time lost later; we really need to go. Right now.  
_He slowly let out his breath, gazing down at Rebecca. By now the lights that littered the ceiling had shut off, with the only source of light sinking in from the open elevator shaft. The bodies that littered the ground cast gruesome shadows that told a chilling story of the events that took place only minutes ago.  
Rebecca was on her knees, sitting up with her head down. Her weapon lay on her lap, the barrel resting on the ground in front of her, and one small, gloved hand rested on the grip. Her other hand was splayed out on the ground, keeping her balance. She was breathing hard.  
_I told her this would be it. I told them "this was the end of it all".  
_He kneeled down beside her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we gotta go," He said softly. "You fit?" Rebecca nodded in response, standing up and shouldering her weapon. She finally looked up at Leon and he saw the fierce anger that covered her face - It was something that Leon had never seen and much less imagined to see on the patient, warm and loving young woman.  
"Let's go," She spoke, a hint of frustration playing though her voice.  
"Leon? Come in, are you there? Is he dead? Over." Claire's voice came through the radio in his ear.  
"Uh, that's a negative. Red herring. Is everything alright out there, over?" Leon replied, heading for the elevator. He heard Ada and Rebecca in tow behind him.  
There was silence for a moment. "Please repeat. Wesker is not here?"  
_I let everyone down.  
_"That's an affirmative, Wesker is elsewhere. Is everything alright up there? Over."  
More silence. "Um. Copy that. This area is lighting up like a light bulb, I'm seeing spotlights in the guard towers, helicopters, and... is that-" Leon heard Claire move away from the radio.  
"Claire, come in."  
"Leon, we see a tank. This is bad. We-" There was a sudden cracking of gunfire over the radio. "-Shit, we've been spotted. Listen, we'll try to retrieve you but this area is hot. Call us when you're ready. Over and out."

--  
Leon and Ada had done away with the gas masks - they were muggy and hot and not particularly comfortable to wear. Leon waited for the doors to open, which would connect them to the office-room, with his gun on point.  
_Then through the live chambers, and then the stasis chambers...  
_The elevator doors slid open with a mechanical hum, and Leon got a good look at the room.  
Well, as good a look as a single row of lights could give. Immense darkness consumed the sides of the room, the sides of which Leon couldn't see past the cubicle-esque quarters. He stepped out, looking around. It seemed empty...  
The doors behind him slid shut, and the extra light the elevator provided sank away. He took a few more steps forward and stopped, listening for anything.  
_There._  
He knew it wasn't going to be easy as he heard a single footstep on the ground somewhere in the darkness to his right. What he didn't expect was what would happen next.  
A second after he heard the footstep he was suddenly blind, a loud _crack_ coming from the now-shorted lights above him.  
Leon quickly flicked on the light attached to his weapon, and after a second he saw his shadow in front of him - the others followed suit.  
He walked forward slowly, coming to an intersection with four walkways surrounded by the boards that separated the cubicles. He waved the gun to the left, illuminating the walkway - and a black boot that disappeared at the far end of the corridor. Not taking his eyes off of the walkway, he reached behind him, felt a shoulder, and with two fingers pointed behind him and to the right of him - signaling to fan out. His shadow turned and faded, as did the peripheral light around him.  
_Let's see who's playing hide and seek..._  
He edged toward the wall, pressing himself against the opposite cubicles as he went. He heard a slight scratching in front of him, the same sound his back was making against the wall.  
_These could be the TC Hosts from before. Better play it safe.  
_Leon fired twice at the corner, the two rounds easily biting through the thin material and through the other side of the corner. There was some kind of muffled groan, and he quickly swept around the side. He saw what he had hit, a tallish man with the familiar Kevlar-like skin and bright glowing eyes. He switched his weapon to three-round-burst and fired on his head, and the TC creature went limp. He heard footsteps coming in his direction and whirled around, seeing a bobbing flashlight moving toward him.  
"Go for the he-" He started, but was suddenly swept off his feet, flying into darkness. Pain shot through him as he connected with the wall, and as he reoriented himself he raised his weapon - and saw another TC creature coming at him. He pulled the trigger-  
_Click. Click. Click.  
_- and found it to be jammed.  
_Oh, shit-  
_Leon felt for his sidearm, a P99, and in one smooth motion he flicked off the safety and brought it up to aim with the flashlight from the L85A2 still illuminating his assailant. He pulled the trigger as hard and fast as he could - and the maddeningly quick creature went down, crawling at him. He fired again, but the slide locked out- he was empty. The creature leapt forward using only its arms, jaw open and aiming for his neck-  
-And just as fast it flew sideways, hitting the wall with a nasty _crunch_, then becoming very still. A small, neat bullet hole was nestled right in the temple of the creature, and dark, thick blood oozed out slowly. He looked to his left and Ada stood there, unmoving and with her gun pointed right where she'd fired.  
_Wow. She's good._  
Leon got up and reloaded his side arm, leaving his now-useless assault rifle behind, the flashlight burning out. He shot Ada a quick gaze of thanks, but she didn't return any look that he could make sense of.  
Rebecca came from the other side of the hallway and was already striding to the hatch that Leon had blown up with a grenade.  
"Area clear." She spoke, her voice slightly more calm than before.  
Leon twisted the broken door open and as he entered, he heard the wretched computer voice inform them that they had eight minutes left. He stepped over bloody, smoking bodies and reached for the other door handle.


	10. Chapter 10

This is the second-to-last chapter. Here we go.

* * *

"_If there's a God at heaven's door, _

_do you think he wants me anymore?_

_ It's all left up to circumstances,_

_a whole life filled with second chances._

_Pounded in like nails into my floor.  
_

_Everybody hates... and everybody dies.  
_

_Begin to separate... a world that's full of lies..._"

Saliva, _Separated Self_.

* * *

That damn smell hit Ada again, just as hard as before. She had even braced herself for it, but those bodies _stunk_.

...There was also a slightly disgusting misty haze floating in the air. The light on her weapon was actually _diminished_ by whatever was in the air - she couldn't see more than 15 feet, if that.

_At least the lights are on in this room, even if dimly. At least now I can actually see what I'm shooting at._

The shot she'd fired that ended up saving Leon's life was a chance in a million - she was positive she'd missed the mark.

_That brings up the "people muster amazing power when the ones they care about are in danger" concept...  
_

Fine by her - as long as Leon was alive, it didn't really matter _what_ happened, as long as it did.

_Oh, yes. It's alright that you're going to abandon him as soon as you get the chance, right? As long as he's alive, you're content. He may be hurting bad because of you, but its okay, right? It's better to be alive and depressed than dead, isn't it? I'm sure you already know about that, don't you, Ada?  
_

Ada shook off her conscious - whether it was right or wrong, now wasn't the time to play with morals.

_Then when is?  
_

Leon was ahead of her, his gun drawn forward and swaying around. With two fingers he pointed at a cage, and Ada lit it up.

_Yeah. Zombies.  
_

The decomposing creatures moved around sluggishly, letting out occasional moans. They hadn't seemed to have noticed the team's presence.

Two small bright lights pierced through the muck on the other side of the room - the next set of doors. It looked like a straight shot there - the single beam of fluorescent lights shot down the line, showing that there were no zombies within the eight-foot space they illuminated. Leon turned back to Ada and Rebecca.

"They don't know we're here. Let's just sprint-"

Leon was cut off by and uncomfortably close moan of the undead, and Ada's adrenaline spiked as she realized it came from behind her. She whirled around and almost collided with the creature. It was missing both its eyes. How it got so close to her was a mystery, but its undead status would inevitably change in a moment.

Ada brought her rifle up to her shoulder and fired once into its forehead, and the creature dropped like a rock. She regretted doing so, however, when she heard the immediate moans of the other zombies, now alerted to their position. Even in the dark, through the muck she could make out their open, outstretched arms and half-limp.

"Run," Leon started, and Ada didn't need to be told twice. She spun back around and flat out bolted to the door, her already-sore muscles in protest of her actions.

She ripped the door open when she got there, standing guard as Leon and Rebecca caught up and skirted past. When they were through, she entered the room and closed the door behind her, silencing the wretched calls of the damned. Once locked, she let out breath that she hadn't realized she was holding and leaned against the door, filling her lungs up with sweet, muck-free air. After a minute she regained her composure, looking around to see that Leon was eyeing her with a gaze that she knew all-too-well; the "I know you're up to something, what is it?" gaze.

Guilt coursed through her as fast as her blood did; the data her experts had gotten her was off, but she had known from the start that Wesker wasn't here. She had to play along so she could do what she needed to do.

"See something you like, handsome?" She purred, trying desperately to get his look off of her. It worked, but not as she had hoped. Leon sighed, almost as if he had expected her to do that, and looked down at his weapon.

_He's sick of your games. He's sick of you using him. Maybe he's just sick of you. It's not like you didn't see it coming._

"We all ready?" Rebecca asked, Ada having completely forgotten her presence until that moment. She nodded in response. Leon cracked the next door open as the computer informed them of their now six-minute window. Ada followed directly behind him, her light pouring into the room. What she saw shocked her.

It was immaculate - there were no messes, no creatures roaming around, and all of the monsters were still inside their stasis tubes. It was like they decided to leave this entire area alone.

Leon looked back at the team, a confused look on his face, and shrugged.

_Ah, there it is. I knew there was still some rookie in him.  
_

Ada stifled a smile as Leon's confusion played across his features - for a few moments he looked just as he did six years ago. She had to admit - he looked devilishly cute like that.

The team walked awkwardly through the empty room, getting to the elevator without any confrontation at all.

_It's like everyone just up and left... where are all the guards?  
_

The elevator hummed as the team went up, weapons drawn. The doors slid open at the end of their ascent and revealed the prison, filled with prisoners in their cells - but still no guards.

_What the hell?_

They moved out slowly, checking the levels of the building as they inched toward the entrance, the path completely clear of anyone - they could see the door that led outside, but as they neared, Ada heard the telltale chopping of a helicopter. Leon got up close to the door, listening for anything. Ada strained herself as well, but came up empty. Even the helicopter sounded like it was leaving.

In one motion Leon kicked the door open and the team rushed outside - and Ada realized just _where_ the party was.

Hundreds of guns were pointed at them - directly in front, up on top of the walls... The spotlights in each tower were aimed directly at them, and she saw the helicopter, its own spotlight blinding them.

_They were baiting us, toying with us._

Someone on a megaphone told them to drop their weapons. None of the team moved. He repeated his request, this time more forcefully.

_This is a shitty way to go. I didn't even get to tell Leon anything.  
_

She'd wanted to talk to him for so long. Ever since she'd feigned death six years ago, she'd just wanted to _talk_ to him. To tell him that she wasn't really as cold as she appeared, that she could care... that she could _love..._

The heavy beating of the helicopter's blades came into her senses, and for a single beat she thought they might've dipped down an octave...

The chopper suddenly exploded, falling out of the sky with a gigantic crash, and the spotlights - as well as the attention of everyone there - focused on the downed vehicle. Ada searched the skies for the cause of their good fortune - and out of seemingly nowhere a bright yellow streak descended from the clouds, coming down on one of the towers. The tower immediately exploded and crumbled, and the guards began to run for cover. Ada looked over at Leon, who and ducked down and was talking to someone on a radio. Rebecca was watching the skies, eyes wide and in disbelief.

_Now's your chance to escape, nobody's paying attention. You have a job to do; you can come back and explain everything to Leon after.  
_

Ada slipped away from the team, pressing a button on her belt; her ride would be here shortly...

* * *

I think the song kind of fits how Ada's feeling right now.

If you notice, I didn't really focus on Rebecca at all this time. I want to get as much Ada/Leon stuff going on, although the way I twisted the characters makes them rather unfit to be figuring one another out, especially not on the battlefield. Oh well.


	11. Final

Final Chapter.

* * *

"_Once I rose above the noise and confusion,  
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion.  
I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high...  
Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man;  
though my mind could think I still was a mad man.  
I hear the voices when I'm dreamin', I can hear them say:_

_Carry on my wayward son,  
There'll be peace when you are done.  
Lay your weary head to rest,  
don't you cry no more..._"

* * *

"Drop your weapons." Someone shouted over a megaphone. Leon couldn't tell who - there were too many bodies, and too many lights blinding him. He didn't move.

"Drop your weapons, _now_." The man said sternly, his voice still a whisper in the intense whirlwind blades of the helicopter.

"Leon, can you hear me?" Chris' voice crackled over the earpiece Leon wore, and he glanced around in confusion. "This is Chris. I'm backing you up."

_Chris? Where the hell is he? Unless...  
_

He scanned the skies, looking for Chris' possible location. Instead, he saw a large yellow streak shoot out of seemingly nowhere. It hit the hovering helicopter, instantly creating a noise louder than that of the helicopter itself, along with a hellish explosion that he could feel through his body.

_Jesus, what the hell was that?  
_

"The 40mm cannon strikes again!" Chris shouted happily. By now the helicopter was little more than a smoldering heap of scrap metal. The guards' attention had changed from the intruders to their downed bird - the spotlights now lit the wreckage. "Hey, check out the 105." Chris said. Leon looked back into the skies and saw it - a larger, bright white shell falling out of the sky. It hit the side of one of the guard towers, and instantly fire billowed out of the top of it. A second later it tipped over, no longer able to stand, and came crashing down on the ground. Smoke, dust and shrapnel shot out in every direction.

"Tell me that's not an AC-130 Spectre?" Leon called into his mic., almost laughing with joy.

"That's an affirmative, the one and only. Listen, we're gonna make a quick mop-up of the guards down there, and then we'll have to re-fuel. Copy?"

"Copy that. Over and out." Leon tapped a button to change frequencies while turning to face the team. "Alright guys, let's-"

_Oh, Christ.  
_

Rebecca was alone next to him, wide-eyed and watching the mayhem. Ada wasn't there. "Rebecca, where's Ada?" He asked.

Rebecca snapped back to attention. "What? She's gone?" She questioned, surprised, looking around.

_Great. She's gone. I wonder what she was here for... wait.  
_

"Do you still have the TC sample?" Leon asked, eagerly.

"Yeah, it's right..." Rebecca felt her back pouch. "Huh? It's gone... You don't think...?"

_Goddammit. That's twice.  
_

There was no comprehending her - first she just wanted to help, and then the sparring match, and then the thievery. Again. Leon didn't know what to think of she really even care, or was she just using him?

_You can't think about this right now. The prison's gonna blow any minute and-  
_

Leon felt a thump in the ground, followed by a rumble, and then the side of the prison exploded.

_Speak of the devil._

"Claire, come in. The shit is hitting the fan out here, where is our ride?" Leon yelled over the chaos. Chris was firing on all of the running guards and the prison was beginning to crumble.

"Leon, we're too far away to come get you, but we have another van coming for you. It should be already there. Get to it, out."

_Alright, time to go.  
_

Rebecca was watching him, her eyes urging for action. "Rebecca, we have a ride, let's get ou-"

Leon's sight was consumed by a sudden white-orange light, and he felt his feet lose contact with the ground. His entire body felt warm as it was pushed back, and just as quickly as this happened he felt his back hit the ground, rolling limply across the concrete. The pain hit him and he realized what just happened - the ground below him, probably a gas pipe, had burst open due to immense pressure, and send him flying back. His arm and chest burned with pain, and as he opened his eyes he experienced what could only be described as hell on earth.

The prison was exploding, masses of brick were flying through the air and fire shot through the orifices. All around the complex fire was finding its way above the ground, igniting the air in a brilliant light show. He heard the screaming of people being torn to shreds as the cannons from the AC-130 unloaded. Underneath the smell of fire, gas and brimstone he could smell the smoldering bodies of the unlucky people inside the prison - and for just a second he thought that Wesker was right there, looking down on him with little more than the pity someone would have for road kill.

Leon's body was a mess - he could see that his left forearm was broken and could feel that his ribcage was in shambles. He looked straight up and through the blood in his eyes he found salvation - a white van, sitting just past the entrance wall.

"Leon!" Rebecca called, and he could see that she was out in the middle of the destruction, her worried eyes fixed on him. She was closer to the van than she was to him...

With his good hand Leon outstretched a finger towards the van, mouthing "go". She looked at the van, and then back at Leon, gazing at him with a horrified, confused face. He reached his finger out farther, and she looked back at the van. Leon could see a clear, clean line running down her otherwise dirty face, starting from her eye and down to her chin. The tear glistened in the all-consuming flames. She nodded in understanding and another tear fell as she turned, running for the van.

When he watched her open the back of the van and climb in, he tried to get up. Instantly his foot responded in pain, as did his chest, but he ignored it, managing to lean against the wall. He looked back at the van and saw Rebecca once more, watching him, tapping her ear. Leon switched the frequency on his comm. and Rebecca's voice poured through.

"I'm not leaving without you. Get your ass over here, pronto." She said, her voice unwavering. Leon forced himself to smile, admiring the medic.

"Is that an order?" He breathed out, each word ripping his insides apart.

"Yes, it is. Now." She replied. Leon flicked off the mic., looking at the war-torn ground he stood on. By now the pipes that ran underneath the pavement had completely exploded, creating walls of flame. The screams had long since stopped, as did Chris' "rain of terror". The ground was still cracking, and explosions from far below made their way up.

He took a step forward, the motion sending pain straight through his body. He forced himself to take another, and another, until he was running, clutching his broken arm and bearing his teeth to fight off the pain.

_Halfway there-  
_

Something exploded directly to his left, and he was sent off of his feet. He hit the ground hard a good ten feet away, and he screamed as his entire body lit up, his nerves burning as furiously as the ground beneath him. He forced himself up, looking back at the van. Rebecca was still there, waiting, clutching her heart. Terror played across her features. He tried to take another step and his knee gave out, collapsing on the ground. With all of his energy he lifted it again, trying the act again and succeeding. He could do little more than walk, but he stumbled as hard as he could to his target. Behind him he could feel the heat of the facility, and around him he could feel the explosions. All he could hear was his heart beating, and the pain became numb. His deep red vision focused on Rebecca, slowly getting closer. Her hand was outstretched and open, her face pleading and afraid. She was twenty feet away... ten feet away... five feet away... Her hand latched onto his shoulder and she helped him into the back of the van. He fell over as soon as he was in, exhausted. Rebecca clambered in behind him, closing the doors and muffling the explosions that had returned to Leon's hearing.

She said nothing as she opened a white tin box and leaned over Leon, her body filling his vision, which was quickly fading. He felt her hand on his cheek, then his forehead, and tried to regain his sight - she was looking forward at the cabin, saying something to the driver and co-pilot. He suddenly felt a large rumbling through his body, and then vertigo. Rebecca placed both her arms over his body and sank close to him.

_What's going-  
_

The vertigo immediately died as Leon was slammed against the wall, feeling the cold metal there connect with his skin - and then he was falling toward the back of the van. He hit the doors, his legs buckling as he did, and then he was flying again, back to the front of the vehicle. Through his murky vision he saw the back doors rip off of the van, and the entire inside was illuminated in a blinding, fiery light. Flames licked the back of the interior.

_Facility blew... blast zone...  
_

The van stopped rolling and came to a rest on its side, Leon lying face up, his gaze fixed on the side wall. Despite his confusion he understood that they had crashed. His face was burning warm and wet and there was something on top of him and it was breathing but he was too tired to remove it...  
Leon felt his mind lifting, his senses dissipating. His thoughts became blurry and nonsensical... he could feel whatever was on him removing itself, for which he was thankful. The last distinguishable thought he processed was what is mother used to say before bedtime.

_Goodnight, Sweet Prince..._

His eyes closed themselves as two fingers touched his neck, and the world darkened around him.

_---  
_Epilogue

"We now go live to Janice Taylor. Janice?"

"Thanks, George. We are driving toward what was once a high-security prison that mysteriously exploded earlier this morning for reasons yet unknown. The explosion was felt as far as Hawthorne, sixty miles away. This forensic team is going to go in and establish a reason for the explosion... wait, we're coming on something. It looks like the remains of a van..."

))FFW

"...the van looks to have been caught in the explosion, the bodies of the driver and the passenger are burned beyond recognition. The van looks completely unmarked, and as you can tell by the hull damage, it flipped end over end for some time, the front axel is completely missing..."

"Sir, you may want to take a look at this sample..."

"What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it.

"Um, alright... There's blood in the back of the van but no bodies, which seems to have made the experts uneasy..."

"I said don't worry about it. We're moving again."

"Okay, okay. We're going to get back in the emergency van and continue on further. I just hope whoever was in the back got out alive..."

))FFW

"...and it looks like a warzone here, there are large craters in the ground and exposed pipes, the walls, the guard towers, they're all in shambles. What was once a highly-stable prison, known for it's excellent care of it's prisoners, is nothing more than a pile of rubble here, and experts are calling this the worst tragedy Nevada has ever had. It's looking like there was some sort of malfunction in the oil being used here, which caused the immense explosion. Some of the forensics team is coming back from the rubble..."

"Get the President on the line now, tell him we have a serious situation, it might be Kennedy. I want this entire area shut down-"

"Who's Kennedy?"

"And get her them out of here. Turn that camera off. TURN THAT CAMERA OFF NOW-"

(live feed ends)

"...Uh, Janice, are you there? Um... we seem to be having some technical difficulties, we'll be right back... Clark, what the hell is goi-"

PLEASE STAND BY

* * *

And that's the end of part 2. Don't really have a whole lot to say about it, hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.


End file.
